158 Making the American Thoroughbred 



In the third heat Walden was supplanted as Henry's 

 rider by Arthur Taylor, later famed as Boston's trainer 

 for three and a half years, and "long a rider equalled by 

 few and surpassed by none." At the start, quoting from 

 the same eye-witness, 1 "Purdy took the lead and pushed 

 Eclipse from the score, and indeed the whole four miles, 

 applying the whip and spur incessantly, evidently resolved 

 to give Henry no respite, but to cause him, if determined 

 to trail, to employ all his speed and strength without 

 keeping anything in reserve for the run in." Henry 

 continued trailing until about 60 rods from home in the 

 last mile. "Here, being about five yards behind, he made 

 a dash and ran up to Eclipse so far as to cover his 

 quarter, or haunch, with his head, and for a moment had 

 the appearance of going past; he made a severe struggle 

 for about two hundred yards when he again fell to the 

 rear and gave up the contest. ... In the last heat 

 Henry carried no Ibs., being two pounds over his proper 

 weight; it not being possible to bring Arthur Taylor to 

 ride less, and although a small horse, and wanting twenty 

 days of being four years old, he made the greatest run 

 ever witnessed in America." Time 8:24. The time for 

 each of the twelve miles averaged 1:59. In the opinion 

 of many experts "the amazing swiftness of Henry lost 

 him the race." 



To Col. Johnson's absence many of the Southerners 

 attributed Henry's defeat. Their unshaken confidence in 

 Henry's superiority was shown by the challenge issued by 

 Johnson a few days later to run Henry against Eclipse, at 

 Washington, the following Fall, 4-mile heats, $20,000 to 

 $50,000 a side, each party being allowed the privilege of 

 substitution from horses of their respective sections. In 

 declining this challenge, for himself and others in the 

 1 C. R. Golden. 



